IGI not passive to radioactive threat

NEW DELHI: On May 29, 2015, the cargo terminal at Indira Gandhi International airport had its first radioactive scare. Even though the scare turned out to be false, sources said the first team of respondents arrived more than two-and-a-half-hours late.

This incident triggered a series of meetings and all authorities were roped in to fill in the gaps and ensure fool-proof operations in the future. The level of preparedness was heightened to tackle similar situations in a better manner.

A mock exercise on radiological emergency at IGI airport was planned in June this year by the disaster division of ministry of home affairs. The National Disaster Response Force was made the lead agency to assist district officials to coordinate with other authorities.

Following this, a mock exercise was conducted at the cargo terminal on Sunday morning to check preparedness. An emergency was declared when four boxes with radioactive mark caught fire while being transported.

“The fire was extinguished using dry chemical powder and the cargo staff and handlers were kept in isolation to undergo decontamination. A team of 45 men from NDRF, Dwarka came with specialised equipment to contain the situation under the supervision of their commandant P K Srivastava,” said Chanakyapuri SDM Aman Gupta, who was representing the New Delhi District Disaster Management Authority.

Scientists from Department of Atomic Energy and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board also kept a check on procedures to deal with a radiological emergency. Officers from DIAL, CISF, Delhi Police, Civil Defence and cargo operator CELEBI also participated in the exercise.

Gupta said that the cargo terminal was cleared for use within four hours.

“The agencies reported on time and coordinated well, but we realised that communication between them needs improvement. A detailed report will be prepared and measures to step up the accuracy of operations will be ensured,” he said.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.